In photography and cinematography, a wide-angle lens is a lens covering a large angle of view. Conversely, its focal length is substantially smaller than that of a normal lens for a given film plane. This type of lens allows more of the scene to be included in the photograph, which is useful in architectural, interior, and landscape photography where the photographer may not be able to move farther from the scene to photograph it.
A Canon wide-angle 17-40 mm f/4 L retrofocus zoom lens
How focal length affects photograph composition. Three images depict the same two objects, kept in the same positions. By changing the focal length and adjusting the camera's distance from the pink bottle, this bottle remains the same size in the image, while the blue bottle's size appears to dramatically change. Also note that at small focal lengths, more of the scene is included.
Cinematography is the art of motion picture photography.
Arri Alexa, a digital movie camera
Georges Méliès (left) painting a backdrop in his studio
Live recording for TV on a camera with a Fujinon optical lens.
A deep focus shot from Citizen Kane (1941): everything, including the hat in the foreground and the boy (young Charles Foster Kane) in the distance, is in sharp focus.
